Skills for Success / Academic Skills / How to Use Artificial Intelligence
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Here's an example of how Copilot can help with academic writing.
Mo logs in to his student account and asks Copilot:
Can you check this paragraph for academic writing?
"So, like, nurses are super important and help people feel better and stuff. They have to know loads of things, like how to fix people when they’re sick or whatever. Also, being a nurse is kinda stressful ‘cause patients can be annoying sometimes, but it’s all good, right? Nurses need to be smart and work hard, duh, because hospitals are busy places. Oh, and teamwork is a thing, so you need to get along with, like, doctors and other people. Nursing is all about caring, so that’s nice, I guess. Anyways, being a nurse is hard but cool."
Copilot replies:
This paragraph needs significant revision to align with academic writing standards. Here's an analysis of key issues: 1. **Informal Language**: Words like "like," "super important," "stuff," "loads of things," and "duh" are casual and inappropriate for academic contexts. Would you like me to help rewrite it in an academic style? |
Copilot has offered to write it for Mo, but Mo wants to learn, so he asks:
How can I improve my ability to write academically?
Copilot answers:
Improving your academic writing skills is a journey that involves practice, reflection, and attention to detail. Here are some tips to help you: 1. **Understand Academic Style**: Familiarize yourself with the formal tone, objective perspective, and structured argumentation required in academic writing. Avoid slang, overly casual expressions, and personal opinions unless relevant to your assignment. 2. **Read Academic Material**: Engaging with journal articles, essays, and academic textbooks helps you absorb the language, style, and structure of well-written academic texts. 3. **Plan Your Writing**: Outline your key arguments and supporting evidence before you start writing. A clear structure makes your work cohesive and easier to follow. 4. **Use Reliable Sources**: Support your arguments with evidence from credible academic sources. Proper referencing not only backs up your points but also showcases your research skills. 5. **Practice Critical Thinking**: Analyze and evaluate ideas rather than simply describing them. Show depth by discussing implications, limitations, and alternatives. 6. **Proofread and Edit**: Revisit your work to refine language, remove errors, and enhance clarity. Tools like grammar checkers can help, but manual review ensures precision. 7. **Seek Feedback**: Share your writing with peers or instructors for constructive criticism. Learning from feedback is invaluable for growth. With consistent effort, you'll master academic writing! Do you have a specific topic or assignment you're working on where you’d like guidance? Let me know! |
Mo replies:
Thanks. What can I do now to improve my paragraph - I don't have much time.
Copilot quickly gives a list of suggestions:
If you're short on time, focus on these quick fixes for your paragraph: 1. **Eliminate Informal Language**: Replace words like "like," "super important," "stuff," "duh," and "whatever" with formal alternatives. For example, use "crucial" instead of "super important." 2. **Be Specific**: Replace vague phrases like "fix people" with precise terms, such as "provide medical care." 3. **Organize Ideas Logically**: Group similar points together, such as the importance of teamwork and skills required for nursing. 4. **Use Neutral Tone**: Avoid subjective expressions like "patients can be annoying." Instead, write about "challenges in patient care" objectively. 5. **Add Clarity and Evidence**: Use concise and direct sentences to make your argument clearer. Here's a revised version to get you started: "Nurses play a crucial role in healthcare by providing medical care and promoting patient well-being. They require extensive knowledge of medical procedures and strong problem-solving skills to address a variety of situations. Nursing can be demanding due to challenges in patient care and the high-pressure environment of hospitals. Collaboration with doctors and other healthcare professionals is essential to ensure effective teamwork. Ultimately, nursing is a profession centered on compassion and dedication to improving patients’ lives." This quick revision transforms the paragraph into a more polished academic tone. Let me know if you need further tweaks! |
Copilot has given very accurate and useful feedback and suggestions. However, it has also written a revised version of the paragraph for Mo. It would be easy for Mo to copy and paste Copilot's paragraph, but this would be a mistake:
So, he studies the new version so that he can see how Copilot has changed it, and when he is happy that he has understood Copilot's advice, he re-drafts his original paragraph for himself.